The next several weeks went by fast. Every week was basically the same: classes, meeting Slytherin friends in the Room of Requirements and hanging out with Harry and Ron the rest of the time. Then, once a week, Hermione had her training with Bellatrix.

It was her favorite time of the week. Just being near Bellatrix made her feel loads better. It was as if all her stress melted away as soon as Bellatrix touched her. Dark Arts training was going exceptionally well. Just as Bellatrix predicted, casting dark spells got easier the more she practiced. She could now go longer before having to stop. Since that first time, Bellatrix hadn't need to take such extreme measures to stop her practicing. Hermione was slightly disappointed but knew deep down, that it was a good thing.

"Hey Hermione," Harry greeted sitting down across from Hermione at the table.

Hermione looked up from her plate of food. It was breakfast time and she had been so lost in thought, she'd forgotten to eat. "Hey Harry," she greeted. "Hello Ron."

Ron sat next to Harry and mumbled something under his breath. She ignored him. He barely said anything intelligible this early in the morning, or any other time of the day. "Have you decided which classes you're going to sign up for?" Harry asked them.

Hermione groaned. She had forgotten all about class selection. She couldn't believe it! "I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "We're choosing tomorrow right?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "There was a sign in the common room. Did you not see it?"

Hermione thought back. She did recall the sign. "I did see it," she said. "Sorry, I've had a lot on my mind."

"Anything we can help with?" Harry asked concerned. He'd noticed Hermione looked stressed, most likely due to exams.

"No, it's nothing," Hermione said quickly. "It's just exams and I miss my parents." That last part was a lie. She hadn't thought about her parents in a while. They didn't miss her either. It was easier for them to ship her off to school and not worry about it.

"I'll meet you guys in class," Hermione said before grabbing her stuff and leaving the Great Hall. She didn't even bother to eat the breakfast she dished up.

History of Magic was empty when she arrived, not even Binns was there. It was a good thing. It gave Hermione time to talk to Bellatrix.

I need you help picking out classes for next year.

I can't tell you what classes to take.

I know that. But you know me and you know the classes. You're the best person I can ask about what I should, or shouldn't take.

That is a valid point. What are your thoughts so far? Have any classes caught your attention.

They all did. I was wondering if McGonagall would let me take them all.

Don't do that. I know of a few people that tried. One had a breakdown a couple months into the school year. Besides, with your training you don't have time for all of those classes. Let's see, Muggle Studies you don't need since you're muggleborn.

But I thought it would be fascinating to learn about muggles through a wizarding perspective.

That may be true. But it would be better to get a couple of books from Diagon Alley and learn about it yourself. No need to take an entire class on it. Now, Divination is a bit of a joke. You either have the sight or you don't, you can't learn it. Arithmancy is similar to Divination although a lot more accurate. You could self-study that as well if you really wanted to. I took it when I was a third year but dropped it after OWLs. Care of Magical Creatures isn't bad but that depends on your interests. Ancient Runes is the best class you can take. Although I may be a bit biased. I got an O on my NEWT for Ancient Runes.

What other classes did you take?

I did Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Divination. I didn't last a week in Divination before walking out. It was useless and I didn't see a reason for it.

Hermione dipped her quill into the ink and paused. Bellatrix knew her better than anyone. If Bellatrix walked out of Divination then there was no reason for her to take it.

Can you send me your Arithmancy book? I think I'll do runes and creatures but would like to self-study Arithmancy. Or at least look through a book. Is it possible to send me some books on runes too?

I'll have it sent out in the morning. Hermione grinned. If she asked for something Bellatrix was quick to provide it. She tried not to take advantage of Bellatrix's generosity but it was handy.

The door to the classroom opened and Harry and Ron entered the room. A few Hufflepuffs followed behind them.

Thank you. I'll see you in a couple days.

She closed her journal and tucked it away. "You okay Hermione?" Ron asked. "You ran out pretty quick."

Harry handed her a piece of toast. "You didn't eat," he explained when she raised an eyebrow at the offered food.

She blushed in embarrassment. She had completely forgotten. "Thanks," she said. She took the toast and nibbled on it. "I'm good. I came here so I could think about what classes I wanted to take. I just wanted some quiet."

Harry nodded in understanding. He enjoyed the peace and quiet as well and understood the urge to get away from the noise. "So, what did you decide?"

"I think I'm going to do Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures," Hermione told them. "I'm also going to self-study Arithmancy, or see if I would be interested in self-studying. Did you guys pick?"

"Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," Ron said proudly.

Hermione frowned. "You know Divination is only useful to someone that has the sight, right?" Hermione questioned.

They both shrugged. "It'll be an easy class," Ron defended. Harry nodded along.

Hermione sighed but didn't say anything. It was hard to believe Harry was able to defeat the Dark Lord as an infant. He was a mediocre wizard at best. He could be great but he spent too much time following along with whatever Ron would want. Ron was worse than mediocre. He had potential but he refused to put any effort into his education. That alone would be his downfall and Hermione, for one, couldn't wait.

Class started shortly after for which Hermione was grateful. It gave her something to distract herself with. She studied Bellatrix's notes throughout the entire class. With a scrap piece of parchment, she made a list of things she wanted to look into and information she wanted from Bellatrix regarding how important it was.

"That class is such rubbish," Ron exclaimed when they left. That was the first reasonable thing Ron had said all day.

"It really is," Hermione said sadly. "It's such a shame. The class has so much potential and yet all we learn about are goblin wars."

"Wish they would let us drop the class," Harry muttered as they walked to Herbology.

"I don't think we can until after OWLs," Hermione said with a frown. Another question to ask Bellatrix, could she get a NEWT without taking the class.

Hermione had never been more excited for her Dark Arts lesson. Spending every minute of every day with Ron and Harry was starting to wear her down. While she didn't mind Harry, she absolutely hated Ron Weasley. There was only so much quidditch talk she could stand before she wanted to stab herself in the ears.

Lucifer popped into her room at midnight. After weeks of this routine he didn't bother to check and see if she was ready. He simply took her hand and popped her to the Shrieking Shack.

Bellatrix was seated in a love seat when Hermione arrived. She twirled her wand as she waited for her young bonded. She looked up when Lucifer popped in. Her eyes immediately locked on Hermione.

"You look tired," Bellatrix noted.

Hermione shrugged. "Dealing with Harry and Ron is a full time job," she said. Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her. Hermione sighed. "I'll be okay after exams."

"Are you eating?" Bellatrix asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer to that question.

Hermione blushed. She thought about lying but knew better. She bit her lip and shook her head. "No," she admitted. "I keep forgetting."

Bellatrix stood and walked over to her trunk. She removed several potions, the same ones she always brought, two bottles of butterbeer and two plates of food. "I had a feeling," Bellatrix told her. She two the two plates on the table and went back to her trunk to pull out two smaller plates of dessert. "I had the same problem when I was a student."

Hermione took a seat at the table and removed the cover on the plate. There was a duck breast, green beans, mashed potatoes and a roll. It all looked delicious, which she didn't doubt since the food came from Malfoy Manor.

"Thank you," Hermione said embarrassed.

Bellatrix moved to the other side of the table and sat down. She had the same meal as Hermione. "Eat," she instructed when Hermione didn't grab her fork. "We will not start until you eat."

Hermione grabbed her fork and started eating, fighting the urge to glare at Bellatrix in the process. They only had two hours. She didn't want to waste that precious time with something like eating.

"What are you teaching me tonight?" Hermione asked.

"We're going to start with Episkey," Bellatrix informed her. "It's a healing spell for minor injuries such as broken noses, toes and fingers. It also works well with small cuts and bruises and even minor headaches. As for the Dark Arts spell… I was wondering if you had a suggestion, something not as extreme as the Unforgiveables or Fiendfyre."

Hermione thought back to all the Dark Arts books she had read in the last several months. Several of the spells looked interesting and she did want to learn them but there was another spell that caught her attention. The spell Bellatrix used to save her life.

"What about that spell you used against the troll?" Hermione suggested. "Sectum… I don't remember the rest. I'm assuming it's a dark spell."

"It is a dark spell," Bellatrix confirmed. She put her fork down and leaned back in her seat. "Sectumsempra. It's a very dangerous spell. Have you learned about cursed wounds yet?" Hermione shook her head. "Sectumsempra makes a cursed wound, one that cannot be healed except with a very specific counter curse, which is why it is so dangerous. Limbs are easily removed with the spell depending on the location hit. Hermione, if I teach you this spell, you must be very careful. Not because it is dark but because of who created the spell."

"Who created it?"

"Ah, that is a story," Bellatrix said. "Severus Snape created the spell in his… I believe it was his sixth year. He joined the Dark Lord after a falling out with a friend of his. He created the spell in order to impress the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord then instructed him to teach the Inner Circle his curse which is how I know it." She picked up her fork and took a bite. "This is why it is so important to be careful. If you use this curse, Snape will recognize it and will know you have contact with an Inner Circle member, which will put you in danger and well as me."

"I promise not to use the curse at Hogwarts," Hermione said, hoping that was enough to get Bellatrix to agree to teach her.

"Okay," Bellatrix agreed. "Unlike the Unforgiveables, Sectumsempra is about power, not intent. As long as you put enough power into the spell, it will always work. But the more power, the more devasting the curse will be."

"Is that why you were able to decapitate the troll?" Hermione asked her.

Bellatrix nodded. "I put far more power into the curse than I needed to. With a troll that size so close to us, I had to make sure it would die. The wand movement for the curse really depends on what you hope to achieve. In general, it's a slashing motion." She picked up her wand and demonstrated. "However, you can target a specific body part, should you wish to. Success will depend on how good your aim is. Now, finish your food and we can begin."

While Hermione would much rather practice instead of eat, she had to admit the duck breast was delicious. She hadn't realized how hungry she actually was. Bellatrix had long since finished by the time Hermione was done. Once Hermione sat down her fork, Bellatrix flicked her wand and their plates disappeared.

Bellatrix conjured another dummy for Hermione to test on. "Start with Sectumsempra," she instructed. "Focus first on casting the curse and hitting the target, then work on your aim. Hands and neck would be the preferred target. Wand hand so the enemy cannot fight back, neck to kill."

Hermione nodded. She pulled out her wand. "Sectumsempra," she said calmly. She made a slashing motion with her wand. She did not hit the chest like she intended, instead she hit the shoulder and the entire arm was severed.

"Not a bad first attempt," Bellatrix said. "You weren't aiming for the shoulder, were you?"

Hermione blushed and shook her head. "No, the chest. Aiming is harder than I expected," she admitted.

"That's okay," Bellatrix said stepping toward her. "I'll help."

Bellatrix stood behind Hermione. She grabbed her wand hand and held it loosely in her own. "Aim straight at the target," Bellatrix whispered. "You're overthinking it. Don't think about the exact spot. Simply point and slash."

"Sectumsempra," Hermione cast. She did the slashing motion, with Bellatrix's help, and was pleased to see the cut went across the chest. Hermione's hand was tingling, where Bellatrix's hand was. She wasn't sure why, and was far too embarrassed to ask, so she kept it to herself.

"Much better," Bellatrix praised. She dropped her hand, much to Hermione's disappointment. She flicked her own wand and banished the target dummy. She waved her wand again and a new dummy appeared, this time with red x's on the neck and hands. "Those are your targets. Keep practicing."

Bellatrix summoned some firewhiskey and a glass. She sat down and watched as Hermione practiced. She only poured herself a small amount of alcohol. It wouldn't do well to get drunk while supervising Hermione but she did enjoy the taste of firewhiskey far better than butterbeer.

She took a sip before setting the glass down. "Hermione," she called. Hermione immediately lowered her wand and turned to Bellatrix. Pride swelled within Bellatrix. Hermione had come a long way since they first started training. Bellatrix no longer needed to tackle the younger witch. Now when Bellatrix called her name, Hermione stopped.

Hermione walked over to her side and sat down. A butterbeer flew over to her and she happily took it. "My aim is still terrible," Hermione said sadly.

Bellatrix glanced at the target. There were slashes everywhere, including a vertical cut up the arm. She had yet to hit the target properly but the curse worked, and was powerful. "Aim will come in time. We'll practice more over the summer. You have at least one guaranteed kill shot."

Hermione studied the dummy. "The arm," Hermione realized.

"Yes, with an injury like that, someone would bleed out within a couple of minutes," Bellatrix confirmed. She pushed the dessert to Hermione. Hermione took off the lid and found a delicious looking fruit tart. "The only way to survive would be to have someone with you that knew the counter curse."

"So, only Death Eaters would survive and only Death Eaters know the curse to begin with," Hermione summarized.

"For the most part, yes," Bellatrix agreed. "As I told you, Severus Snape was a Death Eater. He became a spy not long before the Dark Lord fell. As of now the Dark Lord isn't sure he trusts Snape. So, it is uncertain if he taught his curse to anyone. Although that is highly unlikely considering how dark it is. Light witches and wizards would never use a curse like that, assuming they could cast it in the first place."

"What about you?" Hermione asked putting her bottle down. She started to eat the tart. She absolutely loved it. "Do you trust him?"

Bellatrix downed the rest of her glass and refilled it. "No," she said honestly. "I've never trusted him. I'm sure he would say I was simply jealous of him getting attention from the Dark Lord, which isn't true in the slightest. I'm the Dark Lord's favorite and second in command, not even Snape could take that from me."

Hermione decided, if Bellatrix didn't trust him, then she wouldn't either, not completely. He did treat her far better than the Gryffindors though. So, maybe he wasn't all bad. "What is that?" Hermione asked gesturing toward the glass.

"Firewhiskey," Bellatrix answered. "Alcohol," she added when she saw Hermione's confused expression. She pushed the glass toward Hermione. Narcissa would kill her if she knew Bellatrix was giving a thirteen year old alcohol, but a small sip wouldn't hurt. "Go ahead and try it."

Hermione took the glass and sniffed it. It smelled like cinnamon. She took a small sip of the liquid and immediately started coughing. It was so strong and burned her throat. "That is disgusting," she exclaimed. She pushed the cup back to Bellatrix and gulped down her butterbeer.

Bellatrix laughed. "You'll get used to it love," she told her. She froze when she realized what she said.

Hermione blushed a little but gave no real indication that she heard what Bellatrix said. "So, how am I going to practice this healing spell?" Hermione asked.

Bellatrix pulled a blade from her dress. "The spell works the same, no matter what type of injury you're healing." She dragged the blade across her arm, the one that didn't house the dark mark. "Go ahead."

Hermione stared at the bleeding arm in stunned silence. Bellatrix was actually hurting herself to help her learn. Hermione wasn't entirely sure why but it was good motivation for her. She aimed her wand at Bellatrix's arm and muttered, "episkey."

The cut on Bellatrix's arm slowly knitted itself back together. When it was finished, it was as if the cut had never happened, except for the blood on her arms. Bellatrix flicked her wand and the blood disappeared.

They practiced several times. Bellatrix would cut a random spot on her arm and Hermione would heal it. Bellatrix never flinched from the pain but Hermione was sure that had to do with her experience as a Death Eater. Pain was inevitable when it came to war.

Eventually Bellatrix put the knife away. "That's good," she said. "You'll have no problem casting it in the future."

"Can you cast it on yourself?" Hermione asked curious.

"You can but it depends on the location," Bellatrix answered. "Never try to repair your own broken nose. The spell can backfire since you can't properly say it. Any other location will be safe. I need the bracelet you're wearing."

Hermione undid the bracelet and handed it over. It hurt a little to hear Bellatrix ask for it back. But it was nothing compared to her asking for her amulet back. "Why?"

Bellatrix tucked the bracelet away before reaching over to squeeze Hermione's hand. "Lucius needs to redo the portkey," Bellatrix explained. She saw Hermione's face fall slightly when she asked for the bracelet. She didn't mean to upset her young bonded. "I'll return it to you next week."

"Thank you," Hermione said, feeling slightly better.

Lucifer returned, ready to take Hermione back. Bellatrix handed her the Dreamless sleep potion as well as a calming draught, just in case. Hermione hugged Bellatrix before walking over to Lucifer. She took the elf's offered hand and they disappeared.